1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk brake which is attached to a vehicle, for example, an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In disk brakes, a wear alarm member has heretofore been employed to inform the driver of the wear of the brake pad. This alarm member has a portion that is secured to the support plate of the brake pad, and a contact portion that extends therefrom and bends at the edge of the brake pad support plate so as to extend toward the disk. When the brake pad has become worn, the contact portion comes in contact with the disk and produces sound, thereby giving an audible wear alarm signal to the driver.
The wear alarm member must be sufficiently long to generate vibration effectively. In order to obtain the required length, the conventional wear alarm member is shaped such that the intermediate portion of the member, which is contiguous with the portion secured to the brake pad support plate, is bent to extend away from the disk and then is turned back toward the disk. In order to prevent the portion that extends away from the disk from interfering with a part of the carrier of the disk brake or a claw portion of the caliper, the wear alarm member must be attached to the support plate at a position adjacent to the side edge of the brake pad, and the claw portion needs to be so shaped or positioned as to prevent interference with the wear alarm member. A cut portion may be formed in the claw portion for preventing this interference.
To produce a caliper having a claw portion with a cut portion, a forming die used to produce a caliper having claw portions without a cut portion cannot be used, and it is therefore necessary to modify the die or produce a new die, which invites an increase in the cost.